Échappé
by A Life In Color
Summary: Sarah is a world class ballerina, but her fame came with a price. Sarah is stuck helplessly waiting for someone to save her, or is it already to late?
1. Chapter 1

**Hello all! This is a plot that I've had for quite some time now, it's been mulling around in my head but I've finally decided to give it a go. It's a bit dark for a while, but it will get better. I was inspired by one of my own ballet costumes (which now lives in the back of my closet), and a need to write something for releasing emotions I've been keeping pent up. This is only my second story, and 'A Model Queen' still takes first seat for completion, I just needed to write this so I could take a break from the first one.**

 **Anywhooo! I hope you enjoy this one, please review and tell me how it is! Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Labyrinth or it's characters.**

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The barre was cold and unforgiving this morning, much like the sky outside. Sarah's fingers lightly touched the surface as she walked along the wall to the corner, waiting for her director to arrive. The sky was still dark, the streetlight outside the window of the second story studio was all that lit the room Sarah was in. She left the lights off purposely for now, taking in the last little bit of peace she would have until Dimitri arrived.

It was a strange relationship to say the least, and no one knew about it. Sarah was a famous ballerina now, her love of the stage not going in the direction she had planned when she was much younger. Dimitri had discovered her when she was the sugar plum fairy in Tchaikovsky's _The Nutcracker Ballet_ when she was performing with the Philadelphia Ballet. He was a recruiter of sorts for the American Ballet Theater Company, and promised he could take her places she'd never even imagined as a dancer. And that he did, but as with everything it came with a price that sometimes Sarah wasn't sure she bear any longer.

Sarah watched out the window as Dimitri's figure came around the corner of the block, she turned on the lights in the room and started stretching. She heard the door of the first level close shut and Sarah swallowed, taking a deep breath to calm herself. She had on skin-tone ballet tights under a high collared maroon leotard, over that she had on leg warmers, sweatpants, and a baggy mustard color, cable-knit sweater. She knew her defense was not enough though, it never was, but it would have to do for now.

The footsteps were heavy as they drew closer to the room at the end of the hall, the room Sarah always insisted on practicing in because the window. Of course she only told Dimitri that she felt like she was more confident and challenged with the world able to see her, but she had a bigger reason than that. If Dimitri tried anything he'd also be in full view of the street below, another secret line of defense she put up.

"What do you even call that? This isn't beginning ballet Sarah, STRETCH!" Dimitri demanded as he pulled the door shut behind him. Sarah's heart sank as she heard the click of the door, but she just pulled her stretching straps further up, her overextended center split leaving her in a compromising position. She held it for a minute, then went to the chair in the corner, placing a foot on it and sliding her other back, stretching her legs into a very deep right split. Dimitri walked up behind her and scoffed "You want me to do this don't you!" Dimitri hissed in her ear. He grabbed her wrists together and pulled her back, forcing her to stretch in a needle position. Sarah closed her eyes and forced herself to focus on her breathing. 'Oh how I wish I was anywhere but here right now' she thought to herself silently.

"Get up, we're going over you're combinations, I don't have time for your attitude this morning Sarah. I have an hour before I need to go, then you're going to fittings for your new costumes. You will be back in this room warmed up and ready to run your routines for me at 8:00 sharp." Dimitri raised an intimidating eyebrow at Sarah, daring her to object, to which she didn't. "Take your sweats off, I want you in your leo and tights only, you have two minutes to get your shoes on."

Sarah paled a little bit at this, two minutes wasn't nearly enough time to wrap her pointe shoes correctly. They were wearing down and she knew her feet would never forgive her. Just as Dimitri started the music Sarah popped up dressed as he requested, and stood in third position, waiting for his cue.

She ran through combination after combination, and in the last 15 minutes of the session she was relentlessly drilled with pirouette combinations. Dimitri pulled her against himself as the music ended with her feet back in third. He held her from behind and moved against her, hissing into her ear "Now, I'll see you tonight right? On time like I asked, because if you're late you'll regret it." Sarah held what little pride she had left up as she kept her head raised and unflinching. She only nodded before he walked out of the room.

Sarah walked back to her bag, wishing sometimes that the window could be removed so she could throw herself out of it. She knew she'd never bring herself to do such a thing, but anything was better than being subject to Dimitri.

She made sure he was gone before she slid her bag back onto her shoulder, refusing to look down at her feet, already knowing what terrible shape they were in. She walked outside, the cool fall air was refreshing as she breathed in what felt like her first breath all day. "What am I doing with my life." Sarah whispered to herself as she glanced at her reflection in the dark window of a shop she passed. Sarah made her way down to the tailors shop several long blocks down.

She had four upcoming solo competitions she'd be attending, and three different routines. She'd be performing a different one at each of the first three, deciding what ones get the higher scores, from there she will compete the best one at the fourth competition. Each routine had a different song and a different costume, but all her songs were dark and stormy. She liked dramatic choreography that expressed how she felt, which at-the-moment she felt like screaming.

Sarah walked into the small shop and shuffled her way through the tulle skirts that stuffed the place to the brim, it was small but the lady who ran the store was a magician with fabric. "Well, if it isn't the one and only Miss Williams, come in for a visit dear?" joked Anne, who's curly red hair bounced with the rest of her over to Sarah giving her a hug.

"Hello Anne" Sarah smiled as she spoke. Anne was one of the only people she knew in the city , one of the only people she knew at all it seemed. Sarah had grown apart from her already small group of friends once she shot to the top of the ballet world, and she rarely talked with her family anymore, as they'd moved on with their lives as well. Anne was a bit older, supposedly in her mid-sixties, but you wouldn't think she were a day over 40.

Anne O'Leary, never married, no family except for Sarah who she acted as a sister, aunt, and even sometimes as a mother to. Anne spent her days happily surrounded by walls upon walls of tulle and fabrics of all types. "Awe Sarah, ya look sad girlie, come now and let's work on those costumes ya commissioned, and talk about it." Anne's thick Scottish accent never got old to Sarah's ears.

"Oh Anne, they're starting to look even more beautiful than I could have imagined!" Sarah looked at each of the costumes which were pinned to mannequins. "Alright so, Mountain King is this one?" Sarah pointed to a base tutu, which was currently just a blood red velvet corset with a stiff tulle tutu, waiting for embellishments.

"Ah yes, the mountain king. It's not ready yet obviously, I wanted to try a few different things on it while ya had it on, same with the other two costumes, but we'll get to those later, mountain king first." Anne unpinned the back and slipped the costume from the mannequin. "Alrighty, go slip it on and we'll see where it should go from there."

Sarah took the costume behind the changing screen, slipping her leotard off, and replacing it with the deep red costume. "I love this color Anne, it's beautiful." She said, holding the top to her chest as she turned around for Anne to lace the back tight.

"I was thinking that maybe we could cut it into a narrow, but very deep 'v', of course I'd put mesh in, but if it went all the way down to the waist…" Anne traced imaginary lines across Sarah's torso as she thought. "…this needs dome crystals too, and black embellishments…" Anne took to her drawing pad, looking up at Sarah every so often to imagine a detail here or there. The finished sketch was magnificent. The costume had a deep cut, right to the waistline, with black embellishments climbing up and past the red, swirling around her shoulders and chest, which would be in more transparent mesh. Mesh sleeves ended at a point on the tops of her hands, where he middle fingers would be hooked through, they were black that faded to red then transparent to her elbows, crystals dotted the arms. The skirt would be changed from the stiff tulle it was now, to knee length deep red tulle that poufed out, but still flowed.

"It's gorgeous Anne, you're amazing!" Sarah was about to burst until she realized she'd spent the whole afternoon on the stand letting Anne work her magic. "Oh Anne, I'm so sorry! I'll be back tomorrow, b-but I have to leave. I'll be in trouble if I don't go right now…" Sarah shimmied out of the costume gently placing it back on the mannequin and rushing out of the building, racing back to the studio before Dimitri arrived. She gulped and choked back a tear, already fearful of what he would do to her tonight and not wanting to make it worse. She hadn't eaten since the night before since she was afraid she might get sick, yet her stomach growled. Sarah let a single tear fall. It was getting to be too much, but she felt stuck, unable to escape.

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 **kinda short, but thanks for reading anyways! Please leave me a review so I am encouraged to get more added.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Ok, so this is an M chapter, I know I've rated this story accordingly, but I still feel compelled to notify you that this chapter is abusive.**

 **I don't own any of the characters from Labyrinth, nor do I own any rights or receive royalties from the songs I've listed. Though, to get a good experience I think you should listen to the songs that Sarah will be dancing to, and try and imagine a ballet routine to them. I can't listen to any song at all without choreographing something to it in my mind, and I always imagine routines to these three songs as being fairly dramatic and intricate.**

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Sarah slipped down the alley alongside the studio building. She found the back door and pushed it open, taking the stairs two steps at a time, then sprinting to the room at the end of the hall. Dimitri wasn't there yet, but she knew he'd know she was late and not stretched out. She pulled her sweater off and grabbed her shoes as she jogged to the corner where she started stretching what would usually be the last half of her stretch routine. She looked out across the street and saw Dimitri coming from his usual direction. Sarah shuddered, fearing what would happen to her this time after her rehearsal. She laced her shoes securely and correctly, then stood at the barre and warmed up with a plie set.

Dimitri came in and sat his stereo down heavily. He crossed his arms and looked at Sarah with disapproval. He huffed and pointed to the start spot for Sarah. He leaned against the wall and clicked the play on his stereo, an excerpt from 'A Night on Bald Mountain' came on, Sarah started her dance. She did everything correctly, even perfectly, but it was all technical. She felt numb, whether out of fear or out of concentration on the movement she couldn't tell, but she knew she was about to be reprimanded harshly for it. The piece ended, and nothing happened. 'Peer Gynt Suite No.1 Op. 46: IV. In the Hall of the Mountain King' came on next. Sarah went through all the motions again, feeling nothing but doing everything she was supposed to do. Dimitri made no move. Her last piece came on, 'Messa de Requiem: Dies Irae', she still felt nothing.

Sarah held the final position of that final routine for what felt like hours, her chest rose and fell erratically. She didn't feel what came next. The hand grasping her chin was anything but gentle, but she didn't feel anything at all. She only thought to herself as her eyes refused to meet his, still looking into the mirror, searching. She swallowed hard then met Dimitri's eyes, seeing his mouth move but not hearing a single thing he had to say. The next thing she knew was that she was on the ground, pushed away by the same hand that held her chin.

"Sarah, you're going to feel it when you do these routines next time." He yanked her up off the floor and shut the lights off in the room. Sarah remained stoic. She was pushed out of the room, the thought of running and escaping crossing her mind briefly, but remembered what he threatened her with the first time she tried to do that.

Out in the cold now, Sarah's skin prickled. Goosebumps rose over her whole body. The hand grasping her upper arm tightly, guiding her down the street, was going to leave a bruise worth questioning tomorrow. Dimitri guided Sarah towards his apartment, unlocking the door and pushing her inside, quickly closing the door behind them.

"You have five minutes." Dimitri said, almost growling at Sarah. Sarah dropped her bag and walked into the back bedroom of Dimitri's apartment. She stripped then kneeled at the foot of the four-poster bed. The bed looked daunting, covered in only a cheap light grey sheet, nothing more. Sarah looked at her naked form in the sliver of mirror visible, her mind clouded and screaming out. She counted the bruises and scars on her side while waiting for Dimitri as a way of calming herself. She heard the footsteps approaching, the creak of the floorboard that was just on the other side of the door. Sarah controlled her shaking and took a final breath. Dimitri walked in and stood behind her, making eye-contact with her in the mirror.

"My my, little Sarah. I wonder how many more of those we'll add to the collection tonight" he said, drawing a whip up the side she had just been examining. Sarah looked away towards the desk in the corner of the room, seeing the various things he could use on her. He leaned down in front of her and demanded her attention, which she gave unwillingly. The lash she received on her side made her flinch, but she wouldn't give him the gratification he wanted. She bit the inside of her cheek. Dimitri stood before her, still fully clothed, whip in hand. "The bed, now!" He hissed. She stood as he pulled a rope out and tied her wrists together behind her back once she was leaned over the bed. Just as she expected, the leather came down over her rear, making her yelp. She knew his rules about waking the neighbors. She shook and pressed against the bed like she was trying to move away from the assault. Useless.

"That one was for Monday morning when you weren't warmed up..." He bit out close to her ear. This continued for some time, lash, reprimand, lash, reprimand. Her bottom and legs covered in raised red and blue welts.

Sarah whined and tried look at him, her eyes begging for him to release her, though she knew that was the same as asking for a miracle. After her lashings and hearing what each one counted for, Dimitri took her hard. She was left panting with silent tears coming down her face as he walked to the bathroom, reappearing sometime later with a bedsheet. She felt the sheet come down over her body, wrists still bound. The lights flicked off in the room, she turned her head to look at Dimitri one last time. Dimitri closed the door and walked down the hall. Sarah finally let herself really cry. A steady stream of tears ran down her face as she let her body get used to its state. She let exhaustion pull her into sleep. She didn't want to sleep, afraid that she wouldn't wake up the next morning, though she would be okay with it if she didn't she thought to herself as she drifted off.

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" _You're a waste of time, no one wants you and no one cares about you Sarah. I'm the only reason anyone even knows your name." A paddle came down hard over her, but she couldn't tell who the voice belonged to. "You're not a real dancer! You're worthless!" Another loud crack. Her body shook, legs unable to hold her up any longer. "You're going to get that first place in every competition for me. You better not make me look bad!" WHACK. "The only reason you're up there is you're pretty little face. The people don't love you they love me. No one loves you Sarah!" Sarah's mind screams out for someone to save her, someone, anyone. "If you don't say my name every time you stand up there you'll regret the day you were brought into the world. I'll make you regret it! You will say its' me, all me. You're only the vessel for my talent, you have no real talent, you're a puppet! I'm you're master and you will submit to me and do everything I say or you'll be dead!" The voice was close to her ear now, whispering these words. Sarah strained to listen for the person behind the paddle and the voice, nothing._

Sarah woke startled from her dream before the sun even thought of rising, knowing Dimitri was gone to the gym now as usual when nights like last night happened. She was no longer bound, but when she tried to get up she may have just as well been tied to the bed. Her whole body ached so much that new tears ran down her face. She pulled enough strength together to slowly and weakly move to the edge of the bed. Wrapping the sheet around herself she silently crept her way towards the foyer where her bag was left the night before, every movement causing something to burn or ache. She hooked a finger around the bag, dragging it to the bathroom, where she painfully readied for the day. She dug around for the bottle of ibuprofen and took 6, twice what was recommended, but still not enough to make the pain go away. Sarah looked at herself in the mirrors, her whole backside from shoulder to knee scarred and bruised, even bloody in some places.

She looked at her watch. "No time… dammit. Why Sarah?! Why do you let this happen, you're better than this!" Sarah held the edge of the counter, fingertips white and red from the pressure. Her head hung over the sink, tears replacing water. She found a washcloth and carefully wetted it, wiping her face and chest. She tossed it in the end of her bag, then set to work trying to work herself into tights. She layered 3 pairs of tights on just to cover what was underneath incase Dimitri made her take off her sweatshirt and sweatpants again. She unraveled a black, long-sleeved leotard and slipped it on, the fabric causing her to groan when it came up her back. She scraped her hair back into a tight bun and pinned it, running out the door and down the block toward the studio before Dimitri would be back to his apartment.

Sarah was barely keeping her red and puffy eyes open during the session. Dimitri didn't speak a word to her, only looking at her like she was disgusting and unworthy. She called Anne and cancelled the fitting today. Sarah went to her own studio-apartment instead.

Once inside Sarah let the bag fall to the floor, she ran to the bathroom and drew a bath for herself. The hot water searing her wounds as she lowered herself into the bathtub. Her mind wandered many things, including her upcoming schedule. The first competition was this upcoming weekend, she was terrified.

"I just want out…" Sarah sighed as she leaned her head back against the tub. Her only driving force anymore was to be able to join a traveling company and be away from the mess she got herself into and she could only escape by dancing. Dimitri had all control over her, he knew to many people and she knew too much about him, he would be jailed by now if it weren't for his ways of keeping Sarah on a tight leash. She could just not go to dance, but then all her income would disappear. She could quit the dance world altogether, but Karen wouldn't invite her back into their little world after that. She could tell someone, but she was as good as dead if she did that. Dimitri was successful at manipulating every animate and inanimate object to his desires. He always had just enough information on everyone that they feared he would retaliate one day if they didn't do what he said or if they believed anything other than what came from Dimitri's own mouth. Sarah was his object. She was the face to his name, and he wouldn't risk losing her for anything, even if it meant keeping her locked away in his own house.

The first competition was in two days. She wouldn't have another session until after the competition. Sarah let her body go limp in the bathtub, she sank under the water holding her breath. The dark red costume, the color of her own skin, the color of scars and old blood and rage. That would be her costume of the weekend along with the accompanying song 'In the Hall of the Mountain King' by Leopold Stokowski. She mentally ran through the choreography one last time before releasing her breath and coming back to the surface.

Going over her pre-competition checklist, Sarah plastered her usual face of indifference on and went to her bathroom cabinet, pulling out a basket of ointment and bandages, determined to heal her new scars as quickly as possible. "I just wi-…" Sarah gazed into the mirror. She was trembling as she looked around to make sure no certain fae was lurking in the mirrors or nearby. "It would be great if I had someone to help get all this stuff on" Sarah looked around one last time while finishing covering her whole back, bottom, and legs with ointment and gauze where there were still open wounds. She bit her lip, nearly drawing blood, when she went over places that stung more than others, but she had no more room for tears. Something in the back of her mind told her it wouldn't be long until she would never have to cry again.

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 **I hope everyone enjoyed it! Chapter 3 is in the works, and if you're following A Model Queen, chapter 7 will be going up shortly. Thanks all!**


	3. Chapter 3

**I figured after a review (thank you for the review Sazzle) and several PM's about the background and reasoning to why Sarah is basically stuck and helpless, that I should write something that will tell you why, sort of. This chapter took a sharp right turn though about half way through... I didn't plan on it, at all. As a matter of fact this totally didn't go with my original outlines or character description in my notebook. But it works, and after I wrote it down it made much more sense when events in later chapters happen.**

 **I also wasn't planning on posting this so soon, but on my 3 hour break between my last classes I sat in my car in the school parking lot typing away furiously.**

 **Disclaimer as per usual: I don't own anything of Labyrinth.**

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"Sarah, ye truly look lovely in this costume. I'll be there on Sunday too, to see ye dance. Ye still being taught by that… Darian? David? It starts with a D… Oh! Dimitri. He still 'round?" Anne was adding the very last embellishments to the costume as Sarah changed back into her own clothes.

"Yeah…" Sarah sighed "Yeah he's still my instructor. We're hoping for golds all around, I want to be on stage with a real, world class company, dancing as prima. Anne, I could actually be the sugar plum fairy, or the black swan, not just a soloist!" Sarah walked back out from behind the screen and sat on the stool across from the seamstress.

"I don't even know what those things are, but it sounds like they'd be important parts. I think y'll get it Sarah, ever since I met ye y've been the most graceful dancer I've ever seen. Just don't forget me when you leave!" Anne gave Sarah a knowing smile.

"Oh Anne, you're practically my only family, of course I wouldn't forget you! Speaking of family, the last thing I even heard from Karen was three years ago, she and Toby moved to Chicago to be with her family after my dad died. I haven't seen or heard anything from them since she sent me all the boxes of stuff that belonged to me a few months after he passed. She decided to move so suddenly, and practically cut herself and Toby off from me after she sent them." Sarah hadn't realized she was talking so much about her family again. Anne covered Sarah's hand with her own.

"I know dearie. Ye know, ye should really think about finding yerself a man, y're 22, ye should be out enjoying yerself, not sitting in here with an old lady like me."

"It still feels like last week when I heard the news, and I thought I was actually getting close to Karen, but I guess that was just a ploy too. Did I ever tell you, that for two years before my dad died they knew he had severe heart issues? I didn't know anything about that! I was just over in London with the Royal Ballet, thinking I was onto something with Dimitri as an instructor, then the whole world came crashing down! My father dies, the ballet lets me go, Dimitri volunteers himself as my personal instructor, the only other family I knew, or thought I knew, leave, and then Dimitri takes advantage of me." Sarah's eyes were watering, but not tearing yet, she covered her mouth as she said the last part about Dimitri.

"Ah, hon, I've known there was something more to it, Dimitri, he's always been a smug character. I've never liked 'im. Sarah, ye know I've seen your scars, now it's not my place to say anything, because I'd be putting yer life and mine in danger, as well as mine. But ye can tell me, no one else will know. This old lady doesn't talk to anyone, and ye know it's true!" Anne, though confident that the walls of the shop wouldn't talk, still spoke in hushed tones.

"Anne, I trust you, you know I trust you, it's just that… I want to put what he's done again and again to me behind me. Just thinking of it renders me to tears. He hurts me over and over again, and he knows I can't do anything. He knows that 'the crazy old lady in the dress shop' wouldn't be a threat, but he has ways of limiting who I interact with, even if he's not there. It's like he has a whole network of people working for him, saying to this entire tiny town that they shouldn't interact with me. People just look at me, and turn away. They serve me in restaurants as fast as they can, then go and whisper thins about me to their co-workers. Anne, I have nowhere to turn to and only you to talk to. Even the small-town police here look at me and then Dimitri every time we've seen them, and they pretend not to see us. I can't keep this up! I was barely able to move, if only you knew the half of it." Sarah let the tears she promised herself wouldn't let fall fall.

"It won't be long, I know it won't. You'll be leaving soon, and he'll just be a bad memory." Anne gazed into Sarah's wet eyes, and gave her another knowing smile. Sarah looked down and played with the edge of the stiff, flat skirt.

"I'll miss you Anne, you've been so much to me the past few years here. Maybe one day when I'm in a better place I'll find a nice big shop, and you can bring along your talent to show off to new people. And maybe that guy that I find will actually want to propose, and then you can make me the most beautiful wedding dress anyone has ever seen! It will be a fairytale ending!" Sarah's tears dried up as she clasped her hands to her chest, imagining what her first dance song would be. Anne laughed and smiled, she always seemed to know something Sarah didn't know, but Sarah figured it was best not to ask.

"Hon, ye better get going, morning will come faster than ye could ever believe. I'm all finished with this, I'll see it in all its glory tomorrow evening! And I'll see you up on that podium too!" Anne fiddled around with the black plastic dress box, opening it to place the costume in for safe travels. She ushered Sarah to the front of the store, giving her a hug before she walked out.

Anne walked back to the little office room in the back of the shop, and lifted the corner of the rug, revealing a drop down door into the basement, which was where she lived, sort of. She walked down the stairs, being sure that the rug would flop back down on top of the door, covering it. She flicked the light on and looked in the mirror. "Jareth, ye better answer me this time, it's serious."

The mirror rippled and Jareth appeared in it. "Ah, Anne! How are you fairing? I haven't spoken to you in ages!"

"Save it yer majesty, it's been a while, yes, but I think I know something ye should know, how about ye come here for a visit, maybe tea? And don't say no, because y'll regret it." Anne saw the mirror ripple again, and turned around to see Jareth standing in her little basement apartment.

"What is so important? You know I have a kingdom to run, and the goblins have been protesting lately."

"Jareth, ye can take a break to see an old friend, I'm sure those goblins aren't going to burn down the castle in a few hours. I do think you'll want to sit for this though."

"What could possibly be so important?"

"Well, does a beautiful young lady by the name of Sarah Williams ring a bell?" Jareth whipped his head around, glaring at Anne.

"Anne, you've always known how to be cruel. This isn't some game, her name will not be uttered ever again, is that absolutely clear?" Anne knew it was a rough spot for dear friend. She left the underground long ago as she had fallen in love with a man of the Above, who she had outlived of course, as she didn't lose her immortality, her children with her late husband had also since passed. No one above knew much about Anne as she moved to new, small places often, ensuring that no one would question her.

"Jareth, I may have been gone for some time, but I know all about what happened. And I do believe ye should listen, because said young lady is a lovely dancer, and almost like a child of mine, if I'm not mistaken. Sarah Williams is a popular name in the Above, yes, but this one… This Sarah Williams is unlike any other Sarah Williams I've run across in my centuries of above experience. A conversation I just had with her confirmed every suspicion, as I haven't met another Sarah Williams with a younger half-brother named Toby and a step mother named Karen." Jareth's ears perked up at that. He couldn't know for himself where his beloved was or who she was with, because she had blocked herself from him completely, but he trusted his lifelong friend.

"Is that so? Where is she? I've been unable to detect her for nearly seven years now, I haven't been able to fly above and even try to scout her out. Where I thought her family lived isn't the same, it's as if everything having to do with her became disoriented. I must see her though." Jareth started to stand until Anne pulled him back to his chair.

"Not so fast. I think ye should follow my plan, because she's in a terrible place in her life right now, and I don't need you scaring her off or make her world crash down any more than it already is. Tomorrow is the first of three dance competitions for her, I think ye should play the part of a judge, glamour yerself so that she doesn't bolt off stage, but be there, just observe this time." Anne wanted to make Sarah admit her experience in the Underground before Jareth tried anything, just to ensure that he could access her fully when the time came. Anne had a keen sense of what the future would hold, and things were going to get a bit worse for Sarah before they would be resolved forever.

"What time shall I be there, and where?" Jareth refused to make eye contact with Anne, this was all so much. He had forced himself to put her in the back of his mind while he reorganized the goblin city and focused on ruling his kingdom.

"The competition will take place in the Ambassador Theater, you should be there around 3 with the other judges, youth routines will start at 5, pointe routines start at 6:30, which is what you'll be judging. Sarah is entry 42 out of 60. The top 30 dancers will advance to the next competition, which is next weekend, where the top 15 will then advance to the final competition out of the three. The top 5 dancers will go to a competition with their best routine. Sarah is one of the Above's top ballerinas, she'll go all the way. If something doesn't happen before that." Anne whispered the last sentence.

'What do you mean, if something doesn't happen before then?" Jareth was nervous, but he kept his kingly cool, not showing much emotion as his many long years had taught him.

"Sarah is just in a very bad situation right now, I can't give ye details, but she's miserable and very broken. She's still the same Sarah deep down, but the past few years have been a tragic existence for her." Anne's eyes spoke of truth, Jareth wouldn't push his luck. He still had a mask of little emotion, but Anne knew him well to know that it was only a façade.

Jareth's mind was going a million miles per hour, a mix of so many different emotions he lost track. Anger at Sarah for not calling him, happiness, and relief that she has been brought back, confusion, pain, guilt, hurt, and so many more feelings. But his face said nothing, he looked like Anne and him had only been talking about the weather.

Sarah had everything laid out around her little flat. Costume in its box, check; Makeup box, check; medical box, check. Sarah's mental list checkoff went on. She would arrive and not have to see Dimitri before the competition, unless somehow, he schmoozed his way into backstage, which was very likely.

Sarah glanced over at the boxes containing her entire childhood, just three of them. Her conversation with Anne brought back lots of pushed down feelings and memories. Opening one of the boxes she found several play costumes and old dance costumes, she pulled each out and remembered what they went to, playing the memories back in her head. She was at the bottom of the box when she pulled out a pale green play dress. Sarah ran a hand over it, the dress she wore before her time in the Labyrinth, she hadn't even seen it since she shoved it away upon her return.

"You raggedy old thing, seven years since I last saw you. I'd give anything to go back to those days." Sarah glanced down into the box, the little red book staring up at her like a child asking to be picked up. Her graceful hands picked the book up and stroked the gold foil letters on the cover. "And you, I though you went with Toby. I guess it's good that you didn't, he wouldn't believe in you like he doesn't believe in me. Such a pity." Sarah plopped the book the table by her bed in the corner of the flat, then gently laid herself down on the mattress, careful of her wounds.

"Just a few more hours until the beginning of the end." Sarah mumbled to herself as she drifted to sleep.

* * *

 **Chapter Note: I got really tired of my computer red-lining 'ya' for when Anne speaks, so I've changed it to 'ye' which it doesn't try to correct.**

 **I roughly based her character and voice off of a lady very special to me and my family, her name was Britta, and my dad sponsored her in getting her citizenship in the 80's, as she was an Irish immigrant. I dearly miss her. (It's been a long time since she passed, but she was such a wonderful person, and she was much like Anne).**

 **So, if you have any criticism because you don't like the way I'm writing _MY_ character, please take note that it actually is based off of someone real. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Oh hey... yea I still exist, no I didn't give up on this whole writing thing. If you're THAT interested in why I practically disappeared for 5 months then PM me I guess.**

 **Anyway, the story gets a bit darker before it gets better. Possible triggers near the bottom of this chapter as well.** **Y'all've been warned**

 **Disclaimer: I DO NOT own ANY of the Labyrinth's character, I only own my oc's and ideas. ;)**

* * *

Chapter 4

The lobby of the theater was already starting to accumulate people, mostly dancers checking in, instructors, and the occasional extra early or hovering parent. Sarah heard one such parent already berating and yelling at one of the youth aged dancers. "Gee, the competition hasn't even started yet.." Sarah mumbled as she squeezed her way up the stairs, checking each level of rooms to try and find a one with space for her to get ready.

Sarah finally found a room at the end of the hall on the top floor that had one other dancer in it, the lights for the mirrors were still turned off but there was a small window giving some natural light. "You're Sarah Williams right?" asked the other dancer, who had a bright face and a tight, glued back, blond bun.

"Yep, what's your name?" Sarah was used to this kind of small talk, other dancers asking for pictures with her or asking if that was really her they were sharing a dressing room with.

"I'm Natalie, I'm so excited to be dancing with you this year. Well, not with you but in your age group. What's your number?"

"Um, I think I'm near the end, but I haven't checked the line up yet, you?"

"I'm fourth in the line up, is it scary on stage at this level? I'm pretty nervous, I haven't competed in New York yet, or in this circuit of competitions. I'm not expecting to make it far but I'm excited to try!" Natalie must have just aged out of the teen level, she seemed too chatty and naïve to be experienced in the top level of competition. Talking about what happens on the stage before you go out was not something you do.

"Umm, well…" Sarah never really engaged in these kind of conversations even if they were happening, but she didn't want to deter the younger dancer, "I wouldn't say it's scary, it's just a new experience. You'll be fine if you qualified last season to be in this level. What's your piece?"

"On the Beautiful Blue Danube, my costume is over there." Natalie pointed to the costume hanging up, the skirt was in romantic style, fluffy and knee length, showing her rank as a dancer, as she hadn't yet earned her classical skirt. The bodice was off the shoulder and white, with a velvet black corset. It looked similar to a milkmaid costume.

"That's lovely Natalie" Sarah offered her a smile, hoping the girl would stop talking as it was only irritating Sarah.

"What's your song Sarah?" Sarah sighed internally.

"In the Hall of the Mountain King, much darker than your song." Sarah pulled her costume out of its box and hung it on a rack near her. "If you don't mind, I'm going to step out and get some fresh air." Sarah walked out of the dressing room. Thankfully most of the dancers didn't want to walk up to the third floor, choosing to stay on the bottom two, making the possibility of anyone else going into her dressing room much slimmer.

Sarah pulled her hood over her still loose hair, she was careful to stay unnoticed by anyone she didn't want to run into, including Dimitri, who probably had some model or something with him to 'make appearances'. Sarah walked outside and sat on a bench alone, watching the cars pass by, and observing the occasional pigeon that looked at her for food. Checking her clock Sarah decided it was time to go in 'the younger dancers should be finishing soon' she said to herself as she got up and crept backstage and up the stairs to her dressing room. Natalie was gone, but her stuff was still there, Sarah used her absence to start getting ready.

It was absurd how long Sarah waited to get ready compared to other dancers, but it had become a ritualistic thing for her. Using her nerves and adrenaline to make up her face, wrench her hair back into a bun, and shimmy into her costume, leaving her with a sense of calm before she hit the stage. Sarah looked into the mirror, making sure the lines on her lipstick were clean, her eyes were perfect, and that her face didn't show any oily spots. She locked herself into the small bathroom in the dressing room with three pairs of tights, a tub of stage makeup, and a mirror in hand. She carefully set the mirror on the toilet lid and took her sweatpants and underwear off, turning to examine her scars and bruises, which would take months to fade enough that she didn't have to do this part of her routine. She covered up every single scar that could possibly be visible, from just above her knees to her bottom. After that she rolled on the first pair of tights, making sure not to wipe off the makeup she painstakingly applied. She dabbed on more in one or two spots, then rolled on the second and third pairs. It was stiff and confining, but if anything was visible she knew she was as good as dead.

Natalie had come back into the dressing room by the time Sarah was out, she was mostly in her costume, except for asking Sarah for help tightening and lacing up the back. Sarah grabbed her costume and slipped it on, having Natalie do the same. They laced their shoes in a contented silence, touched up their makeup, and went down to the backstage area. It was almost time for the advance and expert dancers to compete.

* * *

Jareth arrived around the same time as the other judges for the senior level of the competition and attended the meeting briefing them on how this would be graded. He used a bit of magic not only to make himself appear more human, but to aquire a vast amount of ballet knowledge, after all, he would be judging everyone, not just his Sarah. He sat with the panel in the third row, which had been modified with a row of tables for the judges to use to grade the performances on. Jareth seated himself right in the middle, grateful that the other judges didn't seem in the chatty mood either.

The audiences were changing as the next level of competition was about to start. Parents of younger dancers were leaving with their children, others were dragging them to seats; making them watch the next round. Some routines which placed in the top of the intermediate round were waiting back stage with proud instructors giving them confidence and keeping their minds of the nerves. The voices of everyone mixed together was nearly too loud for Jareth to bear, yet it was all so hushed. He sat in the middle seat of the panel, right alongside the head judge who he had been chatting with about some of the routines to come.

"I haven't judged with you before, I'm Jorge Barani." The shorter, dark haired man said in a Cuban accent. He shook Jareth's hand.

"I'm Jareth Valery, nice to meet you." Jareth was nice, but very distracted trying to figure out the recording device he was supposed to be talking into for each dancer.

The curtains opened and the emcee went over the rules and whatnot about videography, cameras, smoking, and other general things. "This is the expert and advanced portion of the competition" were the last words the theater heard. It was so silent you could hear a pin drop.

Dancers went one by one, performing with their music. Jareth judged as he was supposed to, though some he definitely was nicer to more than others. They had arrived at the 40th dancer, another dancer who danced to a variation of "On the Beautiful Blue Danube", it was a lovely performance, sure to get her into the top 30. Number 41 danced to the peaceful Op. 13: Minuet. The whole mood changed though as dancer 42 stepped onto the stage and took position. Jareth's breath hitched at the sight before him, his Sarah. The only Sarah Williams that mattered to him was on stage about to perform. Time seemed to have slowed immensely, everyone and everything stopped in time and space. One note, two notes, the music was a stark contrast from the previous two. Jareth nearly forgot what he was supposed to be doing the recorder rolling in his hand.

* * *

Sarah still didn't feel anything. She looked out into the crowd, her face unreadable. She could only see vague outlines of the audience patrons, the lights on her were blinding. Usually she was still actively thinking while she danced. Conscious thought about her facial expressions, how she felt about the performance, and the personality she should be showing were gone. Her body on autopilot she lept, spun, twirled, and danced combination after combination around the stage as she had been forced to practice over and over again.

She was so numb she didn't even feel like she was dancing out of defiance. She felt absolutely void of anything. Her piece came to an end and she held her pose, the audience in stunned silence. One clap, two claps, the audience stood clapping and cheering and she wasn't sure why. She bowed her head and walked of stage where she was met with a strong hand around her wrists.

"What the hell was that?" Dimitri rasped out into her ear. He led her past onlookers with deer-in-the-headlights expressions. Other instructors and ballerinas who were about to congratulate her or comment on her bold choice for the first competition stood somewhat terrified as she was dragged past. But no one was going to say anything because they never did.

The door slammed against the outside as Sarah was shoved outside. "I-" Sarah started to defend herself. She had a standing ovation, one of the only standing ovations of the night, she thought she would have been able to at least go on her way after the performance. She stood though looking at Dimitri who was waiting for her protest. "Are you going to finish that sentence?"

Sarah dropped her eyes, "No sir."

"Good, because I don't want to hear a word out of you again, not for the next two weeks. Not a single sound from you. You got an ovation, but I know you didn't get gold. You won't be on that podium tonight. In other words, you've disobeyed me. I told you to get on that podium, and you won't, you'll maybe be silver at best. Probably bronze though. I guess I'm just going to have to beat it into you for you to figure it out huh?" Dimitri tapped his foot. "I asked you a question brat, are you going to answer or will I have to drag that out of you too?"

"I'm sorry sir. Yes, I deserve to be punished again. I'm sorry for not obeying you." Sarah bit her lip as she dropped her head in defeat. Dimitri puller her chin back up with a firm hand, raising it back and landing a hard smack across her cheek.

"You're going to walk back in there and take the trophy you get tonight and know that you were barely even good enough to be given that. I want you to look like the shameful, worthless person you are as you stand there, and know that the only reason you're in the top 30 is because of me. And only me." At that Dimitri walked back through the door with a crooked smile on his face.

L

The 60th dancer finally finished, and Jareth and the rest of the panel waited for each of their individual scores for each dancer to be tallied up and averaged, then placed in the orders they deserved. Jareth felt uneasy about something, but he knew he had to wait silently by as Anne suggested. All the dancers stood in the wings as they were called out, going from 30, all the way to number one. "In third place, with a score of 276 out of 300, Daria Volya…" Sarah stood in the wings along with the other 32 dancers, her name hadn't been called yet, and she hoped she was called next. "….In second place taking home silver, James Alexander…" Sarah's heart sank, did she even make it into the top 30? There must have been a mistake. No way she was good enough to get first, Dimitri told her so.

"And in first place tonight, taking home gold and leading us into the next round of competition one week from today… Sarah Williams, with 'In the Hall of the Mountain King'" Sarah's skin prickled and paled. This couldn't be right, could it?

She took a deep breath and walked out onto the stage, taking the bouquet of blood red roses and bowing her head to take the medal placed around her neck. A smile, a genuine smile crept across her face. She knew she would pay for that smile tomorrow, but she couldn't help it. She dipped her head at the judging panel, several familiar faces stood out, most likely from past ballet experiences. The crowed stood and applauded as the nights top 30 congratulated one another, friends now that the competition was over for them for the week, but it was game on next week when 30 would become 15.


	5. Chapter 5

**This chapter has been updated since it was first posted, I have switched out the ending and decided to take the story in a ~slightly~ different direction. It's a little lighter now. MUCH lighter than the previous version.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Henson characters.**

* * *

Sarah slept peacefully for once, the scars, the pain, her muscle aches… everything just melted away as she sunk into her usually stiff and cold bed. But tonight it felt like a bed made for a queen. She slept without worry for tomorrow.

 _The room around her was silvery white, as if diamonds and pearls had been crushed and painted on the walls. She slowly spun around, the lovely white costume she donned looked like it was straight from a fairytale. Head to toe, all white. She felt like she belonged on the turntable in a jewelry box, forever twirling to the twinkle of a song. She felt hands, gentle yet firm, hold her waist as she lifted onto one toe, hands in fourth. The song started, the melody slow and sweet. A duet. She caught a glimpse of her partner in the reflection on the wall, dressed in silvery tights and a midnight blue, jewel encrusted jacket. As the song came to an end she curtseyed to her partner, who bowed in return._

Sarah woke with a jolt. The alarm in her brain going off. The floor board creaked on the far side of her suddenly very very small flat. She could see him standing there by the window and she knew she could do nothing. Within seconds she was pinned down, a hand holding her down by the throat and a knee between her legs. "You thought I'd let you off that easy?" He whispered into her ear. Sarah coughed at the pressure on her throat, choking, just barely able to breathe.

"I saw that smile, you little bitch. You knew exactly what you were doing, and now you're going to pay for it." Dimitri threw Sarah to the floor in one quick motion, her head hitting hard enough to almost knock her out. She couldn't move. Every kick, every hit. Sarah couldn't do anything but lie there and take it because she couldn't move.

"I'm going to be at the studio in two hours, its 5 right now, I expect you in position at the barre by the time I get there. Which if that isn't clear enough, it means you will have stretched for at least 30 minutes, be tied into your shoes, and dressed in tights and a leo. Specifically, this one" Dimitri threw a plastic bag with a bundle of cloth in it down onto the ground by her head. "Oh, and we're going three hours today instead of one. You're going to drill barre until you can't stand, and then you're going to run you're routine until I say it's perfect. Do you understand?" Dimitri looked at Sarah with his usual face of disgust.

Sarah watched Dimitri walk out the door, leaving her on the ground with tears running down her face. All the pain she should have felt the night before was rushing back now, her whole body throbbed, her muscles screamed, and her eyes burned. It took Sarah many long moments to find the will to even think about moving. She slowly sat up, picking up the bag with the leo and standing. She just stood, "come on feet." She whispered, her voice shaky and broken with sobs. Sarah was afraid to turn on the lights, afraid to see herself, afraid to look at her apartment. She rolled on some tights, then pulled out the leo Dimitri tossed at her. It was an old one she had forgotten at Dimitri's house long ago, one of her least favorites because it brought out her lines. It made it easy for Dimitri to scream at her about one hip being unlevel with another, or if her center line was leaning to one side or another. She put it on anyway, accepting her fate as she had so many times before. "Soon." She whispered to herself, sending a silent prayer to whoever would listen.

Sarah arrived at the studio an hour before Dimitri was supposed to arrive, making sure she was more than warmed up and stretched out. She made sure she was exactly as Dimitri demanded before he arrived, and when he did finally arrive she put on her usual stoic façade.

* * *

Jareth sat in Anne's basement apartment, he simply sat, knowing there was absolutely nothing he could do directly to help Sarah for two more weeks, but the first competition was incredible. She took his breath away. He heard the floor above him being plodded across, the rug covering the entrance to the basement was uncovered, and the door was opened. Anne, not suspecting Jareth, came downstairs with a bundle of grocery bags in hand and set them on the counter. She startled and gasped when she realized Jareth had been sitting there the whole time. "Jareth!" She hissed, "Just what do ye think you're doin invitin yerself into my humble home?" She put a hand on her hip.

"Oh Anne, I couldn't bear it any longer, I just needed to see you again." Jareth tried to joke, but there was little humor in his voice.

Abandoning the groceries on the counter Anne came and sat across from Jareth. "What?" was all she asked with an attitude.

"I don't think I can wait two more weeks. Sarah, she just looked so soulless, so empty and numb up there. Why is she like that? What's made her lose that spark she once had? Life Above can't possibly be that dreary, can it?"

Anne sighed, running a tired hand down her face. She didn't know much of the details, as Sarah wouldn't tell her for both of their safeties. "Jareth…" She didn't know how to explain things without him getting very upset. "I told ye before, she's in a difficult situation. She hasn't told me everything, but I've seen her scars even when she thinks I haven't. I've asked her before, but she seems very afraid." Anne knew she wasn't telling him the full story, but she couldn't possibly tell him everything right now. Just as she hadn't been able to tell him the first time.

"You've told me all of this, but who is doing this to her? Where is she? I just want to protect her Anne. It's been far too long and I can't see her like she was on that stage. If you insist I can't see her until then, then please just try and get her to talk about it to you." Jareth was more angry that Anne knew much more than she was telling him, and that he was being kept in the dark than he was about the miniscule amount of information Anne had told him. "I do know that she is My Sarah though, not any other Sarah Williams. I don't think I can wait much longer. I need her, and I know she needs me." Jareth was letting far too much emotion show, but he was quite nearly on the verge of tears.

Anne place a hand on his arm "I know Jareth. Soon." Anne left Jareth to think while she finished putting away groceries.

* * *

Sarah's legs were shaking but she was trying her hardest. Her face was starting to crack though, her mask of concentration was giving way to the pain. The rhythm of the ballet music was what she was grasping onto, making herself move as she was instructed to on every beat, knowing that there was another and another beat is all that kept her going.

"Sarah! You're leaning, start over." Dimitri watched every line, making sure he pointed out to Sarah all of her flaws. The music started again and so did Sarah. They had been at the barre now for nearly 2 hours, and Sarah's body was screaming. She finally completed the combinations Dimitri told her to without any word from him. "Better, we'll do it again tomorrow." He walked over to the stereo and played the CD with the music for her second dance before Sarah could get to her position. She knew what was coming for her mistake.

Dimitri grabbed her arm and drug her over to her spot, "I thought I told you before that immediately after you were done with barre you would do you're routine. You knew where you should have been and you weren't there. Sarah I can't believe you sometimes. I keep trying to think that you'll figure these things out, but then you never do. How long will it take you Sarah?" he let her go with a shove.

The music started again, this time Sarah was in her spot. She went through the routine again and again, all Dimitri said each time was "no" and "again." Sarah's legs could barely hold her up by the time they were done, through will power alone was she still standing.

"You'll be at my place at 6 sharp this evening, no later." He growled into her ear as he walked past her and out the door. She stayed frozen until she saw him out on the sidewalk, getting into a car that pulled up next to him. As soon as she saw him leave she collapsed to her hands and knees, heart beating out of her chest, muscles spasming and body shaking uncontrollably. It took her several minutes to regain any resemblance of composure. She managed to pick herself up and move slowly out of the studio and down the street toward the dress shop. Her legs felt like limp noodles and the rest of her body was in a sort of trans like state, not feeling anything, just a sort of floating feeling. She felt like a ghost.

Entering the shop Sarah shuffled toward the back room where Anne had been working on her costumes. She let her bag slide off her shoulder, and she too sank to the floor, and laid out flat on her back. No one was going to move her for a long while.

Anne appeared in the doorway out of the mess of tulle that filled the place. She always seemed to disappear completely in there, Sarah never knew just where she went. She wished she had a place to go where she could just disappear completely.

"Oh darling." Anne said looking down at her. Sarah tried to pass a smile, but Anne could see right through it. "I don't think ye can take this much longer girlie." Anne dropped the pile of tulle she was carrying and gave Sarah a hand to get up. Sarah took a deep breath then sighed, ever so slowly getting up. Anne helped her to the comfortable chair in the office. "What happened? And, before ye protest, you need to tell me everything, I have my own ways of protecting both you and me, his sorry arse can't ever beat it down."

"He broke into my flat through the window before dawn this morning and beat me, then made me do barre for over two hours, and then we drilled the routine for over one hour." Sarah wasn't going to mention the threat about her needing to go to his place later. It was just another thing she would never let out to anyone.

"I see. Sarah I want to help you but I know you're convinced that no one can help. Isn't there anyone who can help? Maybe there's a book you can get lost in? I'd prefer it if you stayed here of course, where you're safe." Anne was giving Sarah the most subtle ques she could think of.

Sarah sighed "There are people I can think of, but just like Karen and Toby stopped answering I fear that those friends won't answer either."

"I'm sure if they are true friends they will respond even still. What do ye have to lose really?" Anne reasoned.

Sarah sighed "Anne, if I called on those friends I may never see you again, they're so far away and… and if I were to find refuge with them I may never return." Sarah was trying her best to be vague. She wasn't even sure if calling her friends of the past would work. 

"That would be a shame, but your safety is far more important than me. Come on, let's get this next costume fitted. It looks bad now, but trust me that it will come together by when you come back tomorrow." Anne led Sarah around to the mannequin which held together a ghostly white base for a costume. They went through the usual process; Sarah puts on the base, Anne adds needles and eyeballs things so that she knows what shes doing as soon as Sarah goes, except this time the costume will be getting a special, top secret treatment. Protection spells.

Sarah realized it was barely a half hour until Dimitri demanded she be there. She bid Anne goodnight and left in a hurry down the street toward his house. Before turning towards the walkway leading up she took a deep breath. It was six o'clock on the dot as she knocked on the door, hands shaking as she did so.

"I was beginning to think you weren't going to show. I really didn't want to have to find you myself and bring you back here for discipline." Dimitri immediately led her to the farthest back room where she had been beaten and abused many times before. "I'm not sure how to go about this since you've been so bad, I'm thinking about making this room your permanent residence until the competitions are done. How does that sound Sarah? Do you think you'll get it through your head by then? You will learn to obey me completely, without question? It's been long enough that you already should have, but some are quicker than others I guess." Dimitri pushed Sarah through the doorway of the room after speaking. Instead of following Sarah in and beginning the beatings, he just shut the door and locked it. "Oh, and Sarah…" he said through the door "… I expect you to be ready for me by the time I come back." At that he walked away.

Sarah walked into the connected bathroom and started undressing. Her whole body was screaming. She looked in the mirror, her body unprotected by anything now. She wasn't sure what to do when she went back into the room, Dimitri usually gave her a specific amount of time, but tonight he was playing a game, one Sarah knew she was going to be victim of.

Sarah laid on the sheet-less bed for some time before she heard Dimitri coming down the hall. She stood up and waited with her head down, it was better not to make eye contact. Sarah heard the key slide into the door, jiggling around until it unlocked. With every second that passed Sarah's fears rose in her chest. She pinched her arm behind her back when the door opened to keep herself from trembling. "I'm not interested. Just know that you will come back here every single night by seven o'clock, no later. Until this competition series is done. Do you understand me?" Dimitri held cruelty in his eyes. Sarah had one of her safe havens taken away from her, which was more cruel than hurting her physically. He walked out the door and locked it. Sarah took the liberty of putting a t-shirt on and rolling a towel to use as a pillow as the bed against one wall was nothing more than a mattress. She would surely loose her mind before these competitions were finished, the walls held secrets darker than anyone should ever know.

* * *

 **Yeah, the first version of this chapter was definitely not my style either. But this is all trial and error, so here is another version I wrote a few days ago. I wanted to see the reactions first before I switched them. I think this will allow me to go in a much more "Yellow Wallpaper" direction.**


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